Anime fans know what it takes to become a good villain, and they've learned through trial and error. The medium has all kinds of baddies across the board, and shonen steps up with serious contenders time and again. Now, fans are taking a moment to recognize the villains they find to be the most intense, and these iconic faces will sure be familiar with fans both new and old.
Over on Twitter, the ordeal began when a fan shared their favorite villains with anime fans. The user Prideful Sin gave serious props to baddies like Madara Uchiha, Freeza, Aizen, and even Dio Brando. The tweet unlocked a flood of others vying for their favorite villain, and things got heated quickly.
You can check out a sample of votes below to see if your own picks align with what the fandom is spitting out. It should come as no surprise that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure got a share of votes with its villains. Naruto also has a few good picks thrown in, but other series you might not expected were thrown into the mix by fans.
Of course, I have my own villain to add. There are plenty of scary bad guys out there, but the one who terrifies me the most nowadays is Stain of My Hero Academia. Not only is the character visually terrifying, but his charisma and ideology make him the perfect tinder to spark a dangerous revolution. The Pro Heroes could tell that from the start, and after what Stain did to Iida's brother, it will be hard for any fan such as myself to side with him.
Did your favorite bad guy make the list? Which other villains need representation here? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!